I splurged and bought a 25# block of porcelain clay today! I made my first frolic sculpture out of porcelain. All the teachers I've spoken with LOVE the ceramic version better than the polymer ones, as do I. I'll post some pictures soon. I don't have a kiln as of yet - I'm using a friends to fire.
Oh My GOD, it's like butter - I love porcelain!
If you haven't used Etsy's Alchemy yet, be careful. You need to process everything through Etsy so it will register correctly with Paypal. And don't be lax with any deadlines - and don't make your deadlines too long - you lose the opportunity to file with Paypal for undelivered items after a time.
I ordered a custom wine cork backsplash from an Etsy seller (would love to place the name here, but my Etsy conscience is telling me not to). And our relationship was cordial and relaxed. I made the due date July 31, well - we were both fairly lax about it, After it was finished I paid.....
I kept convo'ing about when it would ship and all I'd receive is excuse after excuse about why it hasn't shipped. Finally at the end of September I received a convo that it had shipped a 'couple of days ago'.
Well, it's now the end of October and it hasn't arrived. I've contacted the seller numerous times with no return contact. Not a word about the delay with my $100 purchase. I feel very badly that this was my one and only experience with Alchemy and it's been poor.
Not only have I lost my ability to file with Paypal but I have no way to leave feedback because it's been so long...
beware.............
Terra Cotta Sculpture
Originally uploaded by Endless Whimsy
Here is my finished terra cotta sculpture. I love it. I'm still working on getting a kiln......I'm thinking I can put it on the third floor. But anyway, I love this piece, I totally forgot the glazing technique for this - it's the one that doesn't use slip and you paint the colors on....not the glaze that turns glassy. I put a bunch of coats on this sculpture and I think it looks amazing!
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Well installing a kiln in my garage is out of the question so now I'm asking for your input.
Is it worth it for me to install a kiln in my third floor room that we don't use?
I just found the most RAD gift.
Background: I like to purchase Christmas gifts that the recipient would never ever buy on their own and would be considered a 'toy' - that's one of the fun things about the holidays, toys to play with!!!!!!
Well here is a BUBBLE WRAP CALENDAR, pop a bubble for everyday of the year! Whoo hoo!~
Well, maybe I'm not a novice, but I'm definitely an amateur. I began taking photos for my Etsy shop with a Fujifilm CoolPix before I switched to a Nikon D40. Here is one of the first photos of my sculptures:
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Pink Catnap Summer 2007
(below) Green Frolic Winter 2007
After I got my Nikon D40, I continued taking photos with my makeshift light box (two pieces of paper!). Only now, I had a better grasp on lighting – notice the background isn't as defined and the shadows are minimal – this is because I used indirect natural light. I also changed the angle of my photography.
Though my photography had improved, I still felt I hadn't developed my own 'style' yet. I looked at some really successful shops over on Etsy to see how they created their style in photos. They all had a way of photographing their items in a unique way that highlighted their beauty and functionality.
ALTERATION TUTORIAL
Here I'll walk you through my process of altering photos. I use Aperture (one of the best investments I've made next to my camera and my remote) but you can use Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Fireworks or a free program called GIMP. Either way, you'll need to do some fishing around to see what they call all the tools I refer to in the tutorial.
First, I chose my background for my photos. It's important to pick something that compliments your work. It should be simple an not take away from the object you are photographing. Here I used scrapbook paper
Second, I set up my workspace. I chose my table because it has the most indirect natural lighting. I also have a tripod so I don't have blurry images. Sometimes you need to go a step further and use a remote or the self timer to eliminate camera shake.
***Remote Control and Tripod: it's a small investment for being able to take photos in a not so forgiving light – and NOT be blurry!
After I take the photos (at least 6 of each object) I settle in for some tea and alterations!
P. S. Take many, many photos if you want to fill your 5 slots on Etsy. I took 6 of each sculpture just to get my listing photo!
THE NITTY-GRITTY OF ALTERING
Step by step alterations of a polymer oyster I purchased from Paula at PolymerPaws:
Photo: 1 Unaltered Photo 2: Auto Levels (not exposure) Photo 3: Up the Black Point
I'm home sick today. Lucky for me my iPod can post to this blog while I lay in bed....maybe I'll get some photos today
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Well, firstly I'm typing this on my trusty iPod touch. We'll see how this post goes.
I've had to yet again change my way of life due to my cats. We've already installed special magnetic locks on all our cabinet doors, putting door stops on our sliding closet doors, and constantly patrol the condo for stuff that Lucor could eat. Well, the sliding closet door is broken from the cats forcing it off its track and the wedges have been chewed to bits.
Today we installed a closet door lock. Tonight will be the first night to see if it works. The last straw was Friday morning when I woke up to Luxor in the closet and eating another shirt.
Tomorrow we install a new door handle that:1. Doesn't rattle and 2. Stoli won't be able to open.
Makeshift Workspace
Originally uploaded by Endless Whimsy
with Stoli and Luxor around, I have to be careful what I leave out - so I usually don't keep my clay out. I have to set aside time to do some mega work and keep the cats out of my hair and my clay. I've been meaning to get a shot of this and thanks to Paula P. I've finally done it - she inspired me with her studio shot. Hers is much nicer than mine, but mine works for me - especially when I have to put everything away every time because I have a cat that likes to eat everything....literally.
Click the photo to see notes about the objects in the photo!
I'm sooooooooooooooooo angry with my local news network.
We have this nightly show called "207" and they have been doing spots on the election over the past weeks.
Well, they interviewed McCain in late August and the lead interviewer was so RUDE, in my opinion. His questions were push button questions (which was fine) and when McCain was answering Rob Caldwell kept saying "but you didn't answer my question".
Now, I'm no politician but isn't that just protocol? Obama never answers a question either. And you don't continually interrupt a candidate. If they aren't going to answer your question, they aren't going to answer it and you move on. People will see they aren't answering your questions.
Back to today:
Caldwell interviewed Obama today because he was in NH and it was much more respectful - though Obama did have to say 'wait a minute, that's not what I said'. That must be the trace of a novice reporter - not able to cover up their tactics so the candidate doesn't realize what you just did.
So "207" also declined an interview with Sarah Palin WHO WAS IN MAINE today. They declined it because the McCain/Palin campaign wanted to choose the interviewer. I was so ripped. I wanted to go and hear what she had to say, but was hoping to hear an interview at night since I had to work today.
My local news team failed me. They failed to provide a fair and equal representation of electoral coverage.
Here is my email to 207:
Dear 207,
I can't believe that this news team 'declined' to interview Sarah Palin because they didn't want to have the McCain/Palin campaign select the interviewer. This news team let down their viewers by declining this interview. It's not a fair and balanced representation of electoral coverage.
In my speculation, they probably didn't want Rob Caldwell interviewing her because when he interviewed McCain he was downright rude. It was painful to watch. He was sarcastic and interrupted the candidate. I just watched Rob interview Obama and there was not a trace of that disrespect in that interview.
Well I was able to get Riven working on my macbook....but it isn't full screen, which isn't the best way to experience Riven. But if this is what I have to deal with to play Riven, then I'll deal with it for a while.
For your eye candy, I took a screen shot of a map in a lady bug in that moving room. This game really is da bomb. I love puzzles and if you can remember on the original NES, the Adventures of Lolo? Those kind of adventure games where you don't risk ambush and have a lot of blood and gore - yuck! I like the ones where you have to 'kill' yourself because you are too dumb to figure the puzzle out.
Long live D'ni!
A while back I blogged about a shop where there were handmade catnip toys galore! Well "Jake and Micah" is back!
We exchanged catnip fortune cookies for all my co-workers for two sculptures to match her workspace. The cookies were a hit! We had to hide the box until I had a chance to open it because Stoli was all over it.
Here is a little taste of what went on when I gave Stoli and Luxor a fortune cookie from Jake and Micah..........
I was cleaning out my garage and I found my Riven DVD-Rom game. I remember spending hours on that game trying to solve it, but never did. I wanted to play it again so badly, I put it in my macbook to see if it worked. Nope! The computer didn't even recognize the disc so I had to restart to get the disc to come out. What a bummer, I'm hoping some Riven-Mac-er will come along to this blog and let me know if I have any hope of ever playing this game again and what I have to do.....
It is common knowledge around here that Maine has incredibly high taxes, and I wanted to share with you two things that have completely enlightened me.
I have always been a little on the 'la la la' side when it comes to what I pay. I don't do the bills in my household and I stick to the concept - 'unless you really need it, don't buy it'. Well I registered my car, a 2008 Hyundai Sonata, a couple of weeks ago and boy did it hit home. It was over $350 to register my car (almost the same as last year!) and the prices have gone up on vanity plates. I was even considering getting rid of my long time plate because it had gone up from $10 to $25 or something like that.....I wanted to get animal refuge league plates at additional $25........but that didn't happen because they weren't available yet.
Actually, the reason I'm writing this post is because of a radio show I heard. I listened to this guy talk all about the problems in Maine with taxes and he really laid out a clear picture. Especially the point that we keep adding state-funded programs that we can't afford on top of governor after governor that can't balance the budget.
Now, I can't name very many of our past governors, but the ones that I can remember, I remember many of the problems that arose during their terms. But the final thing that hit me about that program is that Maine has been democratic run for over 30 years. That really left me thinking......
I brought some clay home to try my polymer pulling technique on it. I used a wet-hand pulling technique to get the clay into shape. It took much longer and was a lot harder than I expected. You have to work more slowly with this clay than the polymer. It you go too fast, it begins to tear. It's also a lot messier. But I have to say, it's very satisfying. I'm thinking the more I work with clay, the better I'll get with my sculptures overall. Perhaps not, but it will be fun to try.
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
I need to do some electrical research first to find out how much it will cost to have an electrician come over and install the 220v plug in our garage. It already has electricity, but the circuits all run under our garages. And the breaker is, uh, somewhere.......
But - here's hoping I can have a kiln. Then I can do what I've always wanted - ceramics!
Burgermeister Meisterburger Front Page
Originally uploaded by Endless Whimsy
I always miss the best front pages. This one was about cats!!!!!
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Well, Today was my second class of clay and it went much better.
In the first clay we learned about slab, pinch and coil creation. We were supposed to try creating a cylinder with a slab. We could also try out anything else we liked, but the topic was cylindrical sculpting.
I walked into the class with no ideas in my head. That was the hardest thing! I am the type of person who needs to pre-plan so I can have a jumping off point. Over the week, I did some research into what types of sculpting can be done that are not wheel throwing. I had some ideas going into class tonight.
Tonight, we learned about handles for our cylinders and also about using bisque molds. Hallelujah! That's what I needed. So tonight, I have two dishes drying on molds ready for next week's class to add embellishments.
I was on the front page of Etsy on Oct 2, but someone purchased that item - so I think I was taken off......
I have a bunch of custom orders for some modern sculptures of puppies. Dachshund, Lhasa Apso, and a Yorkshire Terrier......
Here are some sketches to get a modernized silhouette of the puppies
You know, my husband says I favor Stoli, but look at all my posts lately - they're all about Luxor.
So just the other day Luxor was on top of the hood above the stove trying to get in the cabinet to sleep......
Well, he fell off. He really fell. He hit the counter on his side then hit the floor on his side. I held him and looked him over and felt him and he didn't budge - so I don't think there are any broken bones. I just don't get him. Why is he so clumsy and curious? He eats everything and he's always the one that falls.
He's going to die of an accident - I know it.
Poor poor Luxor.
He just doesn't know when to quit.
The other day he started vomiting all over the house because he had eaten a piece of plastic bag. It was seriously gross. He started throwing up all his food then all his liquids. He ran up the stairs, throwing up the whole time. He finally got it all out the poor thing, but you'd think that after a while he'd learn to not eat stuff like that.
Later on that day, he was caught trying to eat a pebble.......
it is official. I'm a worry wart.
Today I am taking 160 students and chaperones to see a performance of Les Miserables at the Ogunquit Playhouse. I have attendance sheets, rules to read on the bus, I've sent numerous emails. I don't know what more I can do........But I'm still worried something will go wrong.
On a good note, I have my small group chorus today. It's a chorus of 42 auditioned members grades 5 through 6. We are working on some tough tough tough music and I hope to have sound clips in the near future!
